Ruby Secrest
Dutchess, performing the role of Columbia in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," spins across the stage while fellow cast members stand by Oct. 23.
“For a lot of us, this is the one place that we can be truly ourselves and don’t have to hide anything,” said MX. Pixie Stix as they prepared for the annual Halloween production of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
The Lyric hosts shows year-round, but during Pride Month and Halloween, the show sees greatly increased turnout. While many audience members attend the show annually, very few know about the individuals behind the iconic Fort Collins shadow cast.
“Rocky Horror” is not only a staple in cult classic films and performance groups, but it has also created a space of inclusion and safety for queer communities. “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” was released in 1975 and explored sexuality and gender through the lens of science fiction, musical numbers and satirical sexual innuendos to address social stigmas toward queer communities.
All of this is done with a touch of sequins, corsets and a whole lot of makeup, creating a space for every person, regardless of gender or sex, to have an equally inclusive and good time. What was originally a commercial failure, failing to reach the film’s target audience, is now incredibly popular for its live-action renditions.
One of the key aspects that brought about the film’s cult following is the live troupe performance by shadow casts, acting out the film while it plays on the big screen and creating a tangible connection between the audience and Rocky Horror. There is no better representation of this than the showcase of No Picnic, a nonprofit organization in Fort Collins that has made “Rocky Horror” at The Lyric what it is today, having performed as a shadow cast for eight years.
“My very first show, I wasn’t told anything about ‘Rocky Horror;’ … I had never experienced anything like it,” said Dairy Aire, who has been a member of No Picnic for three years. “It was so freaking different from being raised in the eastern plains — like insane. And this was the first place where I was able to be whatever type of queer I wanted to be without being judged, … to be able to be different people on stage and to explore yourself and your various expressions of yourself. It’s a very fun outlet.”
The No Picnic cast is a constantly changing, but one thing that appears constant is the acceptance and understanding of each individual. The cast has created a community where members can be vulnerable with one another and are encouraged to explore their self-expression both on and off stage.
“This was the first place where nobody batted an eye when I showed up and was just authentically myself,” Pandiemonium said. “As a trans person in America in 2025, there are limited places where I can do that; that’s one of the main reasons I was drawn here.”
No Picnic is an all-queer cast with a majority of its members being transgender or gender queer.
“As a trans-fem person, there is this societal idea that I am just sexual in all ways period, and it’s fun to finally have a space where the connotation of that is not negative,” Pandiemonium said. “To have a space where that is celebrated and excited as something that I don’t have to hide in order to have my identity accepted is unique, special and why I remain.”
While to some audiences it may seem like nothing more than a sexual, flamboyant and hilarious performance, the ensemble prioritizes not only making it a fun and safe experience for viewers, but for themselves as well.
“One of the things that I think really sets this cast apart from other organizations I’ve been in is every single show, one of the things we do is our consent circle, and we ask every single person involved what they are comfortable with in that day and that character,” Dairy Aire said. “We always ask consent.”
Combining the film’s sexual content, open self-discovery and open dialogue between the cast and audience has allowed for a family bond to form among the No Picnic cast members.
“The first time I showed up to a practice, I was like, ‘These humans are my family,’” Loch Tess Monster said. “I don’t have another group in my life, personally, that has this much of a community, as well as being able to feel so comfortable with people right from the beginning. (That) is something I have never been able to experience. I needed somewhere where I could feel safe, and I feel very safe with this cast.”
For many cast members, No Picnic is not their second family but their first.
“It really is a family, you know?” Pandiemonium said. “I might not get along with everyone, but at the end of the day, I’m going to support everybody. … And when your other options for family have maybe dried up, it’s really special to still be able to find that.”
Reach Ruby Secrest at entertainment@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.